I'll be the Hand that You can Hold
by LeaderLeo
Summary: When tragedy strikes and April's world falls apart, it's up to Donatello to piece it back together. Apriltello, one-shot. 2012 cartoon.


**I overheard my classmate saying that boys didn't know how to ship stuff properly, so I decided to try and prove her wrong. Note: This might take away a little from the effect of the story, but take note of the italicized words at the bottom of the last three sections. I'll stop spamming now ;)**

Donatello

It was supposed to be a simple mission. In and out, do it all silently. I remembered Leo briefing it just yesterday.

"Remember, the two points here are to: 1. Be as silent as possible. And 2. Make sure that Mr. O'Neil doesn't get hurt while we're rescuing him."

Huh. Somehow he made it sound so easy.

I pull out my bo staff in a defensive position and step in front of April to create some distance between Shredder and her, to make sure that both her and Mr.O'Neil, who she's carrying, doesn't come to any harm. Not that it matters all that much, we're surrounded and both of us are going to have to fight anyway.

The plan was supposed to be that while Mikey and Raph distract Fishface, Rahzar, Tigerclaw, Rocksteady, and Bebop,(Whew, that's a pretty long list) Leo was supposed to get the Shellraiser while our little team of two got April's dad, meet up with the other two, and then get to Leo. Oh, and do this all without getting caught by Shredder. Well, we definitely didn't accomplish that section of the plan.

I notice out of the corner of my eye, April carefully placing her father on the ground, then pulling out her tessen to face the Foot bots. She looks _so_ beautiful when she's getting ready to fight.

"Ready, set, _go_ ," I whisper to April, and both of us lunge at the Foot bots. The point is to take down as many as we can without having to fight Shredder. Once we're done with that, we'll try and take down the Shredder. I know it's not going to work, but logically speaking, it's the way that's going to allow us to live for the longest amount of time, since I just need to stall enough for Leo, Raph, and Mikey to get here.

After 2 minutes, my whole body hurts. I'm covered in cuts and bruises, and I think I've already taken down around thirty Foot bots. I turn to look at April, who's wrestling with two bots. She looks so fierce and pretty…

Suddenly, I'm knocked back by a powerful kick and I go flying into a wall. I look up to see the Shredder, who plants a foot on my shell and is raising a claw. Oh shit.

And that's when all hell breaks loose as the Shellraiser crashes through the wall, lands with a huge thud, and the other three members of our operation jump out. Mikey runs forward and lands a good hit to the Shredder's head, Raph rushes to help April, while Leo hold out a hand to help me up.

"We were wondering why you were so late!"

"Sorry…both for making you come here and also for getting caught." I go for a sheepish smile, but it vanishes as soon as I notice his serious look.

"NOOOO!"

Both of us turn around at April's earsplitting scream, just in time to see a Foot Bot stab Mr. O'Neil all the way through, then slowly pulling out the blade and creating a sickening scraping sound.

April, teenage alien mutant, trained kunoichi, and the love of my life collapses.

April

I can't hear anyone or anything. It's like I'm stuck in a different dimension, where nothing exists, it's just me and Dad. I crawl towards him, check his heartbeat. The only sliver of hope I had left melts and evaporates as I feel nothing.

Slowly, the world around me starts to come back, but I still can't hear. I see Raph, who has anger written all over his face, and next to him, Mikey, who's normally happy features are now just completely surprised. Donnie and Leo are standing next to each other, and both of them look shocked. Donnie also looks a bit worried.

For me, or for my dad? I don't know. I don't know anything, can't understand it all. I can't understand, I don't understand…All of my thoughts merge and meld together to form only a single thought:

 _Dad, come back…._

Leonardo

Donnie catches April as she faints. The other three of us are stunned, just staring at the scene in front of us. Then I go into Leader Mode. "Come on, guys! Let's get out of here!"

Raph and Mikey quickly nod and race towards the Shellraiser. It takes Donnie a moment to acknowledge the order, but he carries April and follows them. I toss a shuriken at Shredder before leaving, but seeing as though he easily dodges it, I don't think it scared him all that much.

Once everyone's in, I press the pedal all the way down and we're tossed around the vehicle like it's at a hundred miles per hour. Close enough- it's at 90.

As we rush into the lair, I realize that there wasn't any need. Surprisingly, the Foot Bots haven't chased us. Why? Then it hits me. Shredder wasn't really trying, he was just trying to send a message.

Looking at the huddled form of April, who's woken up and crying silently, and my younger brother, hugging her and murmuring the words, "It's going to be all right," I'd say that he definitely succeeded. I turn around and head towards the dojo to tell Sensei what happened.

 _I can't do anything here._

April (Two Weeks Later)

I pack the last box and seal it with the duct tape. I stand back and look at the ten or so huge boxes that contain all of the stuff in our, no, _my_ , house. I've already contacted the mover truck company. They're picking the things up tomorrow. I wonder how California will be, and how my new life with my aunt will go.

I sigh as I stand on my balcony. I haven't told the boys. In fact, I haven't made any contact with them all year. If I'm going to move away from this hell of a mess I used to call a life, I'll have to get used to their absence.

Mikey. So happy all the time, always trying to cheer everyone up when times got dark, but also very open minded and protective. When Donnie was suggesting to use me as bait for Pete the pigeon, it was Mikey who jumped in front of me, misunderstanding what his older brother had in mind, but still doing all he could to make sure I wouldn't be hurt.

Raph. Strong, determined, even to the point where he would be just downright stubborn, but caring and kind inside. When the Kraang were trying to collect more DNA from me to make more clones, it was Raph who saved me and asked if I was all right, worried about my welfare.

Leo. Brave, wise, and protective, never afraid to do the right thing to make sure those around him would never come to harm. In the first Kraang invasion, Leo had stayed in the sinking Technodrome to slow down Kraang Prime to give myself and the others time to escape.

And Donnie. Intelligent, nice, funny, even a little cute, and my best friend. Almost a year ago, Donnie had saved me and my father when they were about to get kidnapped by the Kraang. And also protected(or tried) me from Dr. Rockwell, when he was still unstable. And had come to my aid when Karai made me a new target, even if it meant risking the safety of his own brothers. And, and…

Oh, great. I'm doing it again. I try to calm down, to forget about all of them and all that's happened. But after two minutes, I give up. It's just too much knowledge, too many memories to just throw away. But what else can I do?

If I stay in Manhattan, all these thoughts that have been weighing me down for the past two weeks will finally crush me. But if I leave, I'll collapse under all that loss.

As I think about what life would be like without all of them, tears start rolling down my cheeks, and I can't do anything about it. It hurts too much. Especially when thinking about Donnie…

I remember all the times when he helped me with schoolwork, protected me in a mission, laughed with me at a joke, and I start crying harder. I can't stop. I just can't stop…

 _But what can I do?_

Donatello

I'm sitting on top of April's roof. And no, this doesn't count as spying… well, okay. I guess it does kind of count as spying if I've been sitting like this for two hours every day for a week. But she was avoiding us lately, and I was worried something was wrong. I knew she would be sad, but this…

I hear a sob from below me, and I sneak a look. My heart begins to crack as I see her crying. Mind in turmoil, I jump down before I even know what I'm doing.

April backs up, startled, and pulls out her tessen.

"Donnie!?"

Oh great. Real smooth. "Uh, hi, April," I stutter.

"H-How long were you even up there?"

"Uh…an hour per day for a week?"

She's silent for a moment, and I wait for the scolding that's probably to follow. But what comes next is much worse.

"So you know what I'm planning to do?"

She sounds so lost, so… _defeated_. So unlike the April that I heard just a few weeks ago.

"Well…yeah, pretty much."

We stand in tense silence, until I just can't stand it anymore.

"Why!? Why do you want to just leave us? The whole year that we've spent with each other…doesn't it mean anything?" My voice cracks, but I don't care. "Does it all mean nothing to you?"

She takes a long time to answer. "It's not that, it's just… It's too painful to stay here. The longer I stay, the more the memories keep coming back to me, and if I leave, then I can get away from all of them."

Suddenly braver, bolder, more desperate than anything to convince her to stay, I don't hesitate as I hold her hand. "Maybe now they are, but you'll get over it."

"I don't think I ever can."

"I can help you. Please, April."

Time slows as she turns to look at me. Our eyes meet, and I can't help but notice the sad, desperate, broken gleam in her eye.

"Trust me."

She closes her eyes, and I start to panic when she doesn't open them for a good thirty seconds. However, when she finally does, that broken gleam is still there, but there's a tiny bit of hope too.

She smiles softly. "All right, Donnie. I trust you."

We lean against each other on the balcony, staring at the night of the Manhattan sky. I promised to help her get through this, and I won't break that promise.

 _I can do it. I will._


End file.
